A week ago, the European Parliament decided that pollen is a constituent, not an ingredient of honey!!
This decision may seem bizarre and incomprehensible for the European Parliament, however, what are the consequences of it?
According to the EU legislation, there is a huge difference between an ingredient and a constituent. An ingredient is a part of mixture and, as far as GMOs are concerned, would be subject to GMO labeling regulations. Thus, GMO maize pollen, as an ingredient, would require labeling if present at greater than 0.9% of the total maize pollen.
In contrast, if honey is a natural entity – and pollen is a constituent of honey – then the GMO labeling requirement is calculated as a % of total honey. Pollen comprises between 0.005% and 0.05% of honey and thus, is always under 0,9%. Therefore, labeling would never be required.
As a consequence there will be no limit to the production of honey from bees that live in a totally GMO environment, and the consumers will not have the option to choose what they will in fact buy and consume.
According to Greenpeace EU agriculture policy director Marco Contiero: Bees are on the front line of Europe?s toxic agricultural system, so it is not surprising that what they are subjected to in the field ends up on the breakfast table as honey. Instead of recognising that bees should be protected from industrial farming and that GM and conventional agriculture cannot coexist, the EU?s response has been to brush the problem under the carpet. The result is that consumers will not know what they are eating and bee decline will continue to threaten food production.
http://www.greenpeace.org/eu-unit/en/News/2014/EU-parliament-to-reject-labelling-of-GM-contaminated-honey/
One may agree or disagree whether GM and conventional agriculture may coexist. However, in Greece, along with other countries of the South Europe, where GMO are not allowed, many small producers produce honey of excellent quality in areas of conventional farming and have the right to take credit for that, giving the consumer the freedom of choice for the quality of their food.
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7 Comments
Well reported Konstantinos. Consumer rights have been compromised. I sincerely hope this get reversed.
Posted 29-01-2015 21:44
Consumers have right to information for the food they pay for. GMOs and its increasing effect in health and environment cannot be overlooked if we think of sustainability. I am hopeful that the EU amend or revise its decision regarding Honey :)
Posted 29-01-2015 10:53
Thank you for your comments Aysha.
Indeed, there is a real "mystery" about GMOs. The theory of evolution has taught us that hundreds or thousands, even hundreds of thousands of years were necessary to become effective changes in the real life.
Now after cutting and joining DNA and "try and error" practices (sorry for the simplifications) we have to discover into weeks or months the long term consequences of their use in our lives, the lives of the next to come and the balance of the world Ecosystem.
Aren't we very much in a hurry, taking into consideration what is at stake?
Posted 29-01-2015 01:34
I personally have worked on GM Glyphosate tolerant sugarcane plant in my graduation research. and the research was to evaluate the toxicological effects of this plant on layer chicken. although the results of all the tests were negative but, alas! a GM plant was being fed to a GM animal. Irony! after spending 6 months on studying articles from around the world on this topic, I am of the opinion that it is still a mystery as to how much GMOs can effect us and our generations to come.
Posted 28-01-2015 17:57
GMOs are the biggest concern of the public. But the agricultural and research companies are involved in the kind of policy making that Konstantinous has mentioned. So even if we do not see the GMOs in the labelling, we'd still be eating those without knowing. that's horrible!
Posted 28-01-2015 17:53
Thank you Konstantinos! GMO is a category what I most care about. Americans have admired EU's strict policy on GMO. And EU countries known as safe from GMO franken-foods. So, this decision is hard to understand. I think it's opening its gate inch by inch to the companies trying to sell GMO foods in EU countries.
Posted 26-01-2015 13:39
I do agree with what you have said.We have our right to know whether it was from GM plants or not. Such steps are likely to effect those who don't use GM.
Hope situation somehow reverse.
Posted 26-01-2015 11:56